Floating deck having reenforced annular gas space



Feb. 23, 1937. HOWARD ET AL 2,071,530

FLOATING DECK HAVING REENFORCED ANNULAR GAS SPACE Filed July 11, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 23, 1937. F. A. HOWARD ET AL FLOATING DECK HAVING REENFORCED ANNULAR GAS SPACE Filed July 11, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5% 555g?; iii-y :1: 1: 405- I Patented Feb. 23, 19s? FLOATING DECK HAVING REENFORCED ANNULAR GAS SPACE Frank A. Howard and Charles H. naupt, Elizabeth, N. 1., assigno'rs to Standard Oil Development Company, a corporation of Delaware Application July 11, 1933, Serial No. 679,859

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in floating decks for oil tanks or the like.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which latter- Fig. '1 is a transverse sectional view through a tank with a modified form of floating deck disposed in position upon the liquid within the tank; 2 is a bottom plan view of the structure of 8- l m Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along theline V-V of Fig.2; Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through a tank'with still another modified form of floating deck disposed 'in position upon the liquid within the tank; and a Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the structurej shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings;

5 cry of the flange 30. A suitable annular sealing means I! projects from the upper portion of the roof into sealing engagement with the side walls of the tank I. An apron l3 depends from the periphery of the flange 33 substantially parallel 0 with the side walls of the tank to form an annular space with the sloping under surface of the roof.

A plurality of equally spaced triangular plates 24 are secured to the under surface of the roof as from an intermediate point II to the periphery and extend therefrom radially outward and downward to engagement with the apron I! to which they are also secured and divide the annular spaceintoa plurality of downwardly extending non-communicating compartments when the root is partially submerged. These compartments, as shown, may be converted into pontoons or into alternategasjstoragespaces I3 and pontoon compartments 2! by means of an annular under-plate 23, secured to the under surface of the roof at an intermediate point ll and to the lower edge of the apron I I. with the underplate in place, it cooperates with the under surface oi the deck portion 13 to form annular gas 50 space 23 beneath the intermediate portion of the with perforations at spaced compartments 2 to admit vapors thereto from the annular gas space 23. alternately, sections of the under -plate may 5 be 'omittgi at spaced compartments, and some of roof. Preferably, the under-plate is providedthe advantages of the invention will be'retained. According to this particular form of construction, the roof in effect consists of a substantially self-supporting central deck portion l3, which isof smaller diameter than the tank, and a selfsupporting hollow wedge-shaped annular rim portion for the deck formed by the flange 30, the apron i9, and the under-plate 20, and having internal partitions 24 dividing the space into a plurality of separate compartments of which certain ones are provided with communicating openings to the liquid and vapor beneath the roof. In a roof of this type the spaced gas compartments 26 and air compartments 2'! prevent the uninterrupted flow of gas about the periphery of the roof, l5 and the accumulation of gasat any one point should the roof assume an inclined position uponthe liquid, due to any temporary concentration of weight at any point. A suitable drain 29 is provided at the central portion of the deck to permit of draining water or the like accumulating upon the upper surface of the deck.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, a similar form of floating roof is shown which is constructed of a sectional large circular deck the under surface-of a portion 32 of which slopes gradually upwardly and outwardly to a portion 33 which slopes sharply upwardly and outwardly to the periphery of the deck. The portion 33 of the deck constitutes an outwardly and upwardly extending flange which extends entirely around the edge of the deck and which is provided with a depending portion 34 which depends below the portion 32- of the deck. An apron 35 depends from the periphery of the portion 33 of the deck substantially parallel with 35 the side walls of the tank and terminates on-a level with the depending flange 34. The apron 35 cooperates with the portion 33 and annular flange 34 of the deck to form an annular space around the periphery of the roof. Flanged triangular plates 31 constitute partitions which extend transversely of the annular gasspace to divide the annular gas space into separate pockets or compartments. Underplates 38 close the space between the apron 35 and the flange 34 of alternate compartments 39 to form air-tight compartments which function as pontoons; Per- 7 forated plates 43 extend between the apron; 33

and the flange 34 of spaced compartments 4| to permit-of flow of gas'from beneath the roof into the compartments 4|. The floating roof has a float capacity equal to its total weight. The triangular partitions are sufliciently strong to hold the total weight of the roof if the roof should be hung on one side. A concrete load 43 is disposed in the center of the roof. A drain I4 is provided leading from the center of the roof.

Variouschanges may be made within the scope of the appended claims in which it is desired to claim all novelty inherent in the invention as' broadly as the prior art permits.

We claim: 1. A floatable root for tanks, comprising a deck, the under surface of which slopes upwardly to the periphery of the deck, an apron depending from the periphery of the deck to form an annular space with the slopinz surface. a" plurality of plate secured substantially radially-to the sloping \mder surface and apron to divide the annular space transversely into downwardly openin: pockets, and closures covering spaced pockets to form pontoons whereby a balanced arrangement of pontoons and downwardly opening pocketa is obtained.

2. A floatable roof for tanks, comprising a deck, the under surface of which slopes upwardly to the periphery of the deck, an apron. depending from the periphery of the deck an annular under plate sloping downwardly and outwardly from an intermediate portion of the undersurfaceto the apron to form an annular air space, a plurality oi. sub-. stantialiy radially extending plates dividing the air space into separate compartments, the under plate being perforated at spaced compartments to admit vapors to the compartments.

3. A iioatable roof for tanks comprising a substantially self-supporting central liquid displacement portion in the form of an inverted cone, and

a self-supporting annular liquid displacement for the central portion so positioned as to create an annular downwardly opening vapor space between the rim and the central portion, said rim portion having a plurality of interiorly located transverse partitions, dividing it into a plurality of chambers of which alternate chambers are in direct communication with the liquid in the tank and with the annular downwardly opening vapor space between the rim and central portions of the roof.

,4. A floatable roof for tanks comprising a substantially self-supporting central liquid displacement portion in the form 01' an inverted cone and a self-supporting annular liquid displacement portion comprising a hollow annular rim for the central portion to which it is secured so as to create a downwardly opening annular vapor space between the rim and central portion, said rim portion having a plurality of interiorly located transverse partitions dividing it into a. plurality of chambers, the annular vaporspace and alternate chambers in the rim communicating directly with the liquid in the tank and adapted to receive vapors therefrom.

5. A floatable roof for tanks according to claim 4 in which the annular rim is triangular in cross section and is secured to the central portion at a point corresponding to the apex of the .triangle.

6. A floatable roof for. tanks according to claim 4 in which the annular rimis right-triangular in cross section and is secured to the central portion at a-point intermediate the side corresponding to the hypotenuse of the right triangle.

FRANK A. HOWARD.

H. HAUPT. 

